ForestEthics applauds Canadian Tire's decision to cancel catalogue
Other catalogue companies like Sears urged to do more - reduce their footprint on forests and the climateForestEthics today applauded Canadian Tire's announcement that it is phasing out its paper catalogue - sent to six million Canadian homes every year - given that North American homes are besieged by 20 billion catalogues each year, many made from Canada's Boreal forest.
"Catalogues have a tremendous environmental impact, from forests that are clearcut to produce them to the energy consumed during manufacturing and delivery," said Gillian McEachern of ForestEthics. "Today's announcement by Canadian Tire demonstrates that dramatically reducing paper use makes good business sense. We urge the company to now develop a comprehensive environmental paper policy that will ensure the paper it is using - in flyers and offices - is not originating from endangered forests and is recycled or FSC certified."
Canada's Boreal forest, the largest land-based storehouse for carbon on the planet, is being cut down to produce catalogues like the Sears Wish Book. ForestEthics has been calling on the catalogue sector to adopt sustainable business practices that include: paper reduction strategies, a commitment to phase out of endangered forests such as habitat for threatened woodland caribou in Canada's Boreal Forest and to use post-consumer recycled and Forest Stewardship Council certified paper.
"While some companies like Victoria's Secret, Williams-Sonoma and now
Canadian Tire are changing their paper practices, Sears stands out as a
laggard with no environmental paper policy and continues to source from
threatened caribou habitat in Ontario's Boreal forest," said McEachern.
